September 25, 2017

Destruction of the Mycenean palaces

  • Between c.1200 and 1100 BC, the Mycenean palaces, including their archives, were burnt down for the last time
    • c.1200: Knossos, Mycenae, and Tiryns
    • c.1190 Midea, Pylos, and Thebes
    • Kydonia suffers a destruction around 1200 BC, but it seems to be rebuilt and persist until about 1100 BC
    • Feeble attempt at rebuilding at Tiryns, and a nucleated settlement within its walls for the following century
    • The remaineder abandoned without further ado

Resettlement at Tiryns, LH IIIC

c.1180-1100 BC

"Squatters" and "Refugees"

Pylos, 11th century BC

"Squatters" and "Refugees"

Karphi, Crete

Karphi (continued)

Megaron to Hearth Temple?

Dreros, Lasithi Plateau, Crete

Explanations for the destruction of the Mycenean Palaces

  • "Dorian Invasions" a.k.a. "Return of the Descendents of Herakles" (Herakleidai)
  • Invasion and raiding by the "Sea peoples"
    • But these attackers, recorded in Egypt and Syria, include Denyen and Ekwesh who may = Homer's "Danaans" and "Akhai[w]ans" - i.e. Greeks Further written evidence
    • The term for "Great King," wanax (later anax), survives only as the title of heroes in Homer or as the epithet of certain male gods
    • However, the subordinate title basileus persists as one of the usual terms for "king"

Evidence and Cause of the destruction of the Mycenean Palaces

  • Archaeological Evidence
    • The destruction appears to be accidental, not deliberate
    • So the difficult question is, why weren't they rebuilt again?
  • Complex causes
    • Natural disasters?
    • Climate Change?
    • Economic crisis?
    • Ecological unsustainability?
    • Decimation, dislocation, and migration of impoverished populations?

Why call BC 1200-800 the "Dark Age"?

  • Material culture forms associated with the palaces either disapper entirely or are radically transformed and reinterpreted.
    • The use of Linear B script ceases (which is, of course, why it had to be "deciphered" in modern times)
    • Burial in tholos tombs, as well as lesser "chamber tombs" that are modeled after them, ceases (which is why later Greeks misidentified them as "treasuries," etc.)
    • The megaron is radically transformed in structure and purpose, if not entirely abandoned as a design

  • The traditional explanation essentially takes the perspective of the Mycenean elites, describing the succeeding period only in terms of destructions and absences
    • "Barbarian invaders"
    • Lack of written records
    • Dimminution of certain forms of wealth
    • Abandonment of major sites and, by inference, depopulation
  • However, much like the "Dark Age" of the First Millennium AD, this is a period of important socio-cultural developments
    • Technological innovations: iron, ceramic manufacturing processes
    • Formation of classical Greek political institutions
    • Development of mythological canon that is eventually set down in writing

Lefkandi, Euboia

Remains from LH IIIC through 9th century BC. Possibly identified as "Old Eretria"

Lefkandi Heroon

Late 10th Century BC. Heroon = shrine of a hero

Eretria, Euboia

An early founder of colonies in Italy (Magna Graecia)

Migrations & Colonization

Archaic period Colonization

Metropolis - "mother-city" & colony (apoikia) "daughter-city"

Corinth

Export Pottery: "Cup of Nestor"

From Pithekousai, Bay of Naples, Italy, c.750-700 BC

Protocorinthian Ware: aryballos

Protocorinthian Ware: olpe

Chingi Vase, c.650 BC

Emergence of Mythological Themes

(left and bottom) "Moliones" oinochoe, found in the Agora, Athens; (right) Krater, found in Thebes

Shields & Tympana of the Idaean Cave, Crete

Compare these with the shield stories in the epic poems …

First [Hephaistos] shaped the shield so great and strong, adorning it all over // and binding it round with a gleaming circuit in three layers; and //the baldric was made of silver. He made the shield in five // thicknesses, and with many a wonder did his cunning hand enrich it.

Homer, Iliad, 18.478-481.

Bronze Tripods

The most famous of these was at the panhellenic sanctuary at Delphi.

The son of Peleus now brought out the prizes for the third contest and showed them to the Argives. These were for the painful art of wrestling. For the winner there was a great tripod ready for setting upon the fire, and the Achaeans valued it among themselves at twelve oxen. For the loser he brought out a woman skilled in all manner of arts, and they valued her at four oxen.

Homer, Iliad, 23.700-705.

The Chora & Land Division

Chora - countryside; isomoiria - "equal share"

The chora over time

Chersonesos (modern Sevastapol), Crimea

Smyrna

Smyrna, Asia Minor, as it may have appeared in the 8th century BC

Aspidal Houses

House, Smyrna, Asia Minor

Emergence of new decorative language

(left) plan and (right) Volutes of the Temple of Athena, Smyrna, Asia Minor c.600 BC.

Temples in Hellas and Asia Minor

Temple of Prinias, Crete c.625-600 BC

Detail of the limestone lintel of Prinias Temple A

Korai, mid-7th century BC: (top) Thera, abandoned in quarry, 7'+ tall; (right) "Lady of Auxerre", Crete, less than 1m/3' tall; (bottom) Metope (?), from the Temple of Athena on the Acropolis of Mycenae

Archaic Athens (from ancientathens3d.com).

Political developments in Archaic Athens

  • Athens' acropolis had a Mycenean palace
    • Avoided major destruction 1200-1100, but population still declined
  • Semi-legendary kingdom ended 9th century BC, oligarchy established who governed from the Areopagus (similar to Roman Senate)
    • Attica united in the oligarchic period
  • Draco's reforms (c.622/1 BC) introduced a "draconian" written law code and possibly created the ecclesia (council of 400) which was selected by lot

  • Solon's reforms (594/3 BC)
    • opened the ekklesia to all citizens
    • lowered the property requirements to hold office
    • instituted economic and moral reforms
  • Peisistratos seized power and ruled as "tyrant" 561-547
    • Populist who limited the power of the aristocracy and confiscated their land to distribute to poor supporters
    • Succeeded by sons Hipparchus and Hippias (to 510 BC), who were eventually overthrown with Sparta's help

New Social Orgnization in Attica

  • Reforms of Cleisthenes (508/7 BC) introduced new tribal system
    • 10 tribes
    • Each tribe contained a number of demoi (sing. demos, approximately translates to "township") drawn equally from the plain, the coast, and the hills.
    • About 140 total demoi